What is the True Function of the Human Appendix?

Researchers say the human appendix  acts as a haven for good bacteria, which can be used to effectively restart the gut after a bout of dysentery or cholera .
Conventional wisdom is that the small pouch protruding from the first part of the large intestine is redundant, and for many people who have it removed, they don’t seem to imagine the worst.

Scientists at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina say that after a severe attack of cholera or dysentery , it can cleanse the intestines of bacteria that are not essential for digestion , and reserve the good bacteria that emerge from the appendix  to take over the role. . So, check out  What is the Real Function of the Human Appendix:

But one Professor says the discovery doesn’t mean we have to cling at all costs to our Appendices . It’s very important for people to understand that if the appendix becomes inflamed, and we’ve already discovered its function, it doesn’t mean that we should cling to it and prevent it from being removed.

One of them argues that the human appendix  supports the immune system. By microscopically examining the Appendix , the researchers found a significant amount of lymphoid tissue, a tissue that has an abundant amount of lymphocytes – the type of white blood cell responsible for defending the body against microorganisms.

Lymphoid tissue is also present in other areas of the digestive system. The function of this tissue is still not very precise, but it is clear that it recognizes foreign substances present in ingested food.

Function of the Human Appendix:  Associate professor in the department of medical sciences at RMIT University, says the theory proposed by scientists at Duke University makes sense. As an idea it’s an attractive proposition, maybe it would be a good place for these little bacteria to locate, in a little cul-de-sac, away from everyone else.

The thing is, if we look at what’s happening through evolution, we’ll notice that we’re at the higher place on the evolutionary scale, and omnivorous animals become smaller and less important, the Appendix  in humans is a good example.

The normal bacterial flora in our appendix  and inside our gut is the same, so we lose all these specialized bacteria. This, is a vestige of something that already existed before.

Koala’s Appendix:  Unlike humans, the koala is famous for having a long appendage . It is believed to aid in the digestion of a diet made up exclusively of eucalyptus leaves. One professor says this is unlikely to change in the short term.

Unless a big event destroys what koalas depend on for life, that won’t change, but if that happens we will see mutated koalas in a short time, as they go looking for another source of food, then we would see after a few generations of years and the koala appendix  shrink in size. The Professor says it is possible that at that time koalas could have been affected by appendicitis and sometimes have it removed.